Brief Club History

A Little Bit of History

Brighton & Hove Cricket Club was founded on 22 August 1945, as an amalgamation of Hove Cricket Club (founded in 1918) and Brighton Nondescripts Cricket Club (founded in 1920). The club was based at the County Ground, though all Sunday games had to be played away from home. By 1955 it was clear that the Club’s days at the County Ground were numbered, and in the following year the Club moved to a very small ground next to the Withdean Stadium. Here the club enjoyed a good family atmosphere, but the facilities were primitive, and the use of the ground as a rugby pitch and even as a collecting ring for a horse show made playing conditions dangerous. The Club found a temporary refuge at Longhill School in 1969 before moving to Horsdean. Here, too, there were many problems with rugby, and the Clubhouse could by no stretch of the imagination be described as a pavilion, but the improvement of the square, until it became one of the best in club cricket, helped the Club to go from strength to strength. The high point came in 1979 when the club won both the first and second eleven sections of the Sussex League.

On the Move Again

At the end of the 1990 season the long-standing threat from the bypass became a reality. With no sign of a replacement ground the Club spent another year in the wilderness in 1991, playing all Sunday matches away, but fulfilling its League fixtures thanks to the kindness of Brighton Polytechnic. Towards the end of the 1991 season the Club was offered the use of the Nevill Ground by Hove Borough Council, which was in the process of renovating the Clubhouse. Ironically this was one of the grounds the Club had considered moving to in 1956. The Club eagerly accepted the Councils offer, work began on the square that autumn, and since then the Club has enjoyed a happy collaboration with the Council.

A Bar and a Women's Section

The 1994 season heralded the opening of the Bob Taylor bar, the start of a women's section following the amalgamation with Brighton & Hove Women's Cricket Club and the restart of the men's 3rd XI. In 1995 the 3rd XI entered the world of league cricket and played in the first division of the West Sussex League for a number of seasons. The Club enjoyed a fantastic season in 2000 with the 1st XI winning the Sussex Premier League and the Sussex League Cup. The ladies won promotion to the South Premier League and the Under 16s won the Sussex Festival.

An Update - 2003

The Women's 1st XI win the National Premier League and the 2nd XI just miss out on winning Division 3 (South). The Men's 1st XI finish third and the 2nd XI win the Sussex League Cup for the third time in five seasons. The 3rd XI reform after missing the 2002 season and are playing in the West Sussex League for 2004. The Juniors continue to thrive and there is now an exciting partnership with the Sussex CCC to bring cricket to eight junior schools in Hove. The club is now registered as a CASC (which brings some substantial benefits). The social side of the club is improving with the formation of COPs and a friendly, cheap bar run by Mike Sansom.

Senior Club Honours